Oklahoma's National Parks Honored at State Redbud Awards

Date: October 22, 2010
Contact: Lauren Gurniewicz, 580-622-7282

Chickasaw National Recreation Area and Washita Battlefield National Historic Site were honored with awards recently at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Chickasaw received the RedBud Merit award for Outstanding Eco Tourism for providing visitors with an exceptional outdoor experience. The park was also featured in the RedBud Outstanding Media Coverage award-winning short film,

Oka ’, produced by Rick Thompson and Dallas PBS Station KERA. Washita Battlefield received the RedBud Merit award for Outstanding Media Coverage for their submission of a Discover Oklahoma segment which aired on television on November 21, 2009.

Lisa Conard Frost, Superintendent and Carol Mapel, Park Support, both from Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Cheyenne Oklahoma , Bruce Noble, Oklahoma State Coordinator and Superintendent and Ron Parker, Chief of Interpretation, both from Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Sulphur , Oklahoma , and Park Guide Tucker Blythe from the Oklahoma City National Memorial attended the Governor’s Conference and RedBud awards ceremony.

Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department Executive Director Hardy Watkins announced the winners during a special gala held on Oct. 18, 2010 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman . "RedBud Awards represent the highest honor given in the Oklahoma tourism industry," said Watkins. Entries are evaluated by out-of-state judges based on criteria including customer service, marketing effectiveness, media relations, the variety of audiences reached, value, and overall creativity. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department partners with the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association (OTIA) to present the annual awards.